Arise, let us go from here. —John 14:31

Arise, shine… —Isaiah 60:1

When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery, we have to take the first step as though there were no God. There is no point in waiting for God to help us— He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He is there. Whenever God gives us His inspiration, suddenly taking the initiative becomes a moral issue— a matter of obedience. Then we must act to be obedient and not continue to lie down doing nothing. If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.

Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery— washing fishermen’s feet. He then says to them, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer’s body has become “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

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February 19 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, does this mean that we are to take on work and or service that is not suited to us?  That we are to “struggle on” when the work or service goes against our grain?  Are we to tackle those jobs and activities that just do not suit us? Chambers says that You will not help us until we take the first step in drudgery? But that hard menial dirty work, is that absolutely necessary to prove our worth and character?

And God says…”Seek first the kingdom of God and I will provide everything else you need; including your motivation and direction for work. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. The key to this devotional is in the line…” If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.” When you are connected to Me, and operating out of that connection, the Holy Spirit will guide you to and through the work and service you are to do. It is not necessary for you to DO anything except believe on Jesus. You cannot add one sliver of legitimacy to your character by doing things for Me or on my behalf.  However, you can transform your work as you give it to Me, and operate out of our connection.”

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Rise, let us be going. —Matthew 26:46

Arise and eat. —1 Kings 19:5


The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive— only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.

When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things— things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.

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Journal DJR
Good morning Lord,
Depression, it seems to be part of the human condition. Without it, we can’t appreciate non-depression? Is that all there is to it?

There is more than that, but that what you say is true. There are many varied types of depression. People fight it as if it is an evil, never to be experienced if possible. True, evil can lurk there and come out of it, but good can as well. Consider that things can be learned in periods of depression. Gratitude, Perspective and Empathy can be gained in ways unobtainable from textbooks and academic study. So stay curious in your times of depression. Suspecting that I’m in there somewhere. I won’t hide for long. Seek me and you will find me. Look especially in the mundane places and you will find clues that will lead you.

Proverbs 1:20
Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;

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Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, there have been times recently when I have been depressed, fighting, clawing and scratching…and reading the Bible and every self-help book I can find trying to get out from under it. Are you saying that depression is a part of life, and like trials I should not try so hard to get out from under it?

And God says…”Remember that I use everyday circumstances and situations to help shape you…all things work for the good of those that love the Lord. And recall in James….do not try to remove yourself from your trials too early, let them have their perfect result. You can find Me inside your trials, depression and persecutions. I do not just reveal myself in your rescue or miracles. When you are connected to Me, you can find Me in all areas of your life, and although you may be depressed, I will not let it harm you irreparably. I will simply use this like all other things to work for your good.”

Arise from the dead… —Ephesians 5:14

They said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” —Exodus 20:19

We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God— we simply don’t listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them— not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and humiliation for ignoring Him.

“You speak with us,…but let not God speak with us….” We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don’t want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God’s servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, “Well, that’s only your own idea, even though I don’t deny that what you said is probably God’s truth.”

Am I constantly humiliating God by ignoring Him, while He lovingly continues to treat me as His child? Once I finally do hear Him, the humiliation I have heaped on Him returns to me. My response then becomes, “Lord, why was I so insensitive and obstinate?” This is always the result once we hear God. But our real delight in finally hearing Him is tempered with the shame we feel for having taken so long to do so.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. —Isaiah 26:3

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things… —Isaiah 40:26

The people of God in Isaiah’s time had blinded their minds’ ability to see God by looking on the face of idols. But Isaiah made them look up at the heavens; that is, he made them begin to use their power to think and to visualize correctly. If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature and will realize that it is holy and sacred. We will see God reaching out to us in every wind that blows, every sunrise and sunset, every cloud in the sky, every flower that blooms, and every leaf that fades, if we will only begin to use our blinded thinking to visualize it.

The real test of spiritual focus is being able to bring your mind and thoughts under control. Is your mind focused on the face of an idol? Is the idol yourself? Is it your work? Is it your idea of what a servant should be, or maybe your experience of salvation and sanctification? If so, then your ability to see God is blinded. You will be powerless when faced with difficulties and will be forced to endure in darkness. If your power to see has been blinded, don’t look back on your own experiences, but look to God. It is God you need. Go beyond yourself and away from the faces of your idols and away from everything else that has been blinding your thinking. Wake up and accept the ridicule that Isaiah gave to his people, and deliberately turn your thoughts and your eyes to God.

One of the reasons for our sense of futility in prayer is that we have lost our power to visualize. We can no longer even imagine putting ourselves deliberately before God. It is actually more important to be broken bread and poured-out wine in the area of intercession than in our personal contact with others. The power of visualization is what God gives a saint so that he can go beyond himself and be firmly placed into relationships he never before experienced.

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Journal DJR

Good morning Lord,
Visualization. Powerful stuff. It’s an ability you created us with and it is used by all people. Some for good, some for bad. Most don’t even know they are doing it. But we can use it as a tool and cultivate it’s use. It seems to me to be a neutral and powerful tool that can be used to bring me closer to God and his ways … or farther away from Him. How do I make sure I’m using it right and not being used?

Good question. If your foundation and your source is right then you can build and use the tools I’ve given you for good. If your foundation is wrong, whatever you build will be wrong and good tools won’t change that. The foundation of the first two commandments, Love God and Love neighbor, will never get you in trouble. When you visualize thru those lenses, you will see things that others dont see. Look for me in situations. Look for ways to love me and love people and you will find them. Look for the good and you will find it. If you dont consciously look for the good you will naturally float along and see plenty of bad. So stay curious, looking for me and looking for good. I am good and am looking for those who are looking for good, and who want to be part of my agenda on the earth … like Isaiah.

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Visualize that we (in heaven) are looking for team players to promote our agenda:

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chron 16:9.

The everlasting God…neither faints nor is weary. —Isaiah 40:28

I am already being poured out as a drink offering… —2 Timothy 4:6